Puzzle Pieces
by 2tiitchedLiip2
Summary: Humanstuck: 16-year-old Sollux Captor has begun to feel lonely, empty. When he's close to ending his life, Sollux meets someone that makes all his heart ache fade away, though also introduces many new problems.
1. Chapter One

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Chapter One: No One's Even Paying Attention

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Sollux Captor felt empty. He'd felt this way ever since his mom had left, though lately the feeling had grown. It'd shown in his grades and in his attitude, though his dad didn't notice. This was expected, as Sollux's dad, Scott Captor, hardly ever paid any attention to him. Though Sollux was used to this, and it didn't really bother him. What was bothering him was the gaping hole in his chest. Sure, when he said it aloud or even to himself in his head, it sounded stupid; pathetic. So the teen refused to talk about it, to anyone, as he hardly even knew what was wrong himself.

Once Sollux had tried to talk about it with his father, but his dad had said that he probably missed his mom. Though what made Sollux suspicious was how Scott had shrugged it off as nothing and suddenly had something to do. Before Sollux had mentioned anything, his father was fine and ready to discuss whatever was the matter. Sollux didn't usually talk to his dad about his feelings and all those other fluffy things, so it was odd that his dad wasn't ready to leap on the opportunity. Though seeing as Sollux wasn't going to get a clear, truthful answer from his father, he'd forgotten about it and never mentioned it again…

Sollux found himself yet again dragging himself through the day. No, high school wasn't an easy thing to push through, but the teen was determined to get through it. He was probably just being a wimp and needed to get over it. Fortunately, he was already in his last class of the day. A sigh of relief passed the boy's lips when he realized this, and he leaned back in his seat. He glanced over at the clock; seven more minutes. He could wait that long, just had to pull through it.

He was right. Before Sollux knew it, the seven minutes of class left faded away quickly, and he waited for the other students to exit the room before standing and walking past the doorway. He trudged through the herd of teens to his locker, turning the knob and entering the combination, unlocking his locker quickly. Sollux grabbed his blue backpack, stuffing the needed items inside and slinging one of the straps over his left shoulder, shutting his locker and clicking the lock back in place.

Sollux turned to walk out the door, finding an older student glowering down at him. Sollux cursed under his breath; it was another one of those older meatheads in a higher grade who liked to pick on him. Sollux first tried to push past, and of course, this didn't work. The older male only grabbed Sollux's right shoulder and pushed him back against a locker. Sollux gave a slight huff of irritation, trying to swallow the bit of fear rising in his stomach.

"Look, jutht let me get through." The bully laughed, leaning in. His breath was horrid, causing Sollux to scrunch his nose and lean away. As Sollux glanced over to the side, he spotted Eridan. The fellow peer gave a smug smirk before dashing out of the door, fully knowing of Sollux's predicament. Sollux snarled; that bastard was going to get it.

"No fucking way!" The older teen spoke, with a deep voice, catching Sollux's attention and bringing him back to the current, misfortunate situation. Sollux sighed and fell back against the locker completely; just fucking perfect.

"Can you jutht beat me and get thith over with?" The bully's eyes narrowed as he leaned in even closer.

"Don't tell me what to fucking do, faggot." Sollux's brows furrowed; that was unexpected. What he had been expecting was a comment on his scrawniness, his knowledge of his computers and other technology, but… faggot? Not part of the usual routine.

"Don't even give me that look. Even I can see that way you're lookin' at that other one all the time; the loud one…" he paused, "…what was his name? Karkat?" Sollux felt his cheeks begin to heat up. So that's what he meant… Sure, Sollux did tend to steal glances and daydream about Karkat… Though it wasn't like he thought about him all the time and had pictures of the teen with the colorful vocabulary on his lap top… The idea was stupid. Sollux swallowed nervously and squirmed a bit, eager to get home.

Sollux tried to shove past again, and this is what put the older male's anger over the edge. Sollux bit back a cry as the bully's fist made contact with his jaw, and he allowed his head to jerk from the recoil. The older teen shoved Sollux up against the locker, hard, kicking him in the shin so that Sollux fell to the floor. Sollux gave a groan when he was kicked in the stomach, and his arms flew to wrap around himself, only for another blow to hit him in the side of the head. Sollux sat there, curled in a ball as he waited for the bully to get tired, and the older male eventually did.

Sollux took his chance, standing and punching the older teen in the chest. The bully wheezed for breath, though Sollux only hit him again. Feeling in control, Sollux kept hitting over and over, though eventually the bully was tired of it. Sollux realized he probably should've run when he could as the older male towered over him, standing up straight so he could glower down at Sollux. Sollux did attempt to run, though he was snatched up, the bully's meaty hand wrapped around his scrawny neck. Sollux shook his head, though the eleventh grader brought his fist to Sollux's eye. He did this several times, in fact, before letting Sollux go.

Sollux closed his eyes when the older male walked away, sighing in relief after coughing and catching his breath. A tight knot made itself home in his throat, though he didn't move from his spot slumped against the lockers. Yes, the halls were empty. No, Sollux wasn't going to get up; he walked home. However, he didn't want to end up locked inside the school, so the teen got up and sat down outside the building. This is where Sollux removed his now broken glasses, of a blue shade of course, and set them down. He pulled out the tiny mirror from his backpack, because he tended to need to fix his eyeliner during the day, and looked at his eye. It had shards of blue glass in areas of skin around his eye, his eyeball itself thankfully not damaged. A hiss escaped Sollux, through his teeth, as he reached up and pulled the glass out. He gathered the shards and put them in his bag with the remains of his glasses.

Sollux also put his mirror away and stood, slinging his backpack over his shoulder before he began walking down the sidewalk. He decided along the way to pull out his phone, finding his music app and putting on some dubstep, jamming his ear buds in his ears. His footsteps matched the beat, and the time of the walk seemed like nothing at all. Soon he arrived at his house, and he didn't bother to shut the door quietly. He wasn't afraid of his father hearing; he was at work. However, little did Sollux know, his dad had come home early today.

Sollux jumped when Scott cleared his throat, leaning on the doorway of the kitchen. Sollux looked down, but it was too late. Scott sighed, having already seen his son's injuries. Sollux dropped his bag to the ground and stepped up to his father so that he could inspect his wounds. Scott tilted his offspring's head up by his chin, clicking his tongue.

"How did thith happen, ath if I don't already know?" Sollux sighed, wincing as his father's fingers traced the bruise on his eye.

"Got into a fight…" Sollux mumbled, then scoffed, thinking, 'if you can count that as a fight' to himself. Scott tried to pull his son into a hug, though he was pushed away. Sollux didn't want any fucking part of that, instead dashing upstairs to his room, picking his bag up on the way.

Sollux set his backpack down and locked the door, sighing. He'd probably hurt his father, again, but he didn't feel like being coddled. He didn't need help. He was fine. Everything was alright. Just fan- fucking –tastic. Though Sollux knew he needed help, knew he wasn't fine, and knew everything wasn't alright. Why did he have to be so pathetic? Why couldn't he stop being such a baby? Why'd he have to be such a wimp? Why couldn't he just deal with these emotions of emptiness? Why?

Sollux asked himself these questions as he flopped down on his bed, tears welling up in his eyes. Just great. Here he went, crying like a fucking pussy again. Why couldn't he be tougher? Why'd he have to be so weak, so pitiful? A few tears spilled and ran down the sides of Sollux's head, making him itch and rub at his ears because of the moisture.

No. This was not going to happen. Sollux sniffled, blinking the rest of the upcoming tears away and sitting up. He refused to cry again; it simply wasn't happening. He took a few moments to recover, and when he inhaled his last shuddery breath, gave his last snivel, he grabbed his lap top and logged into his Trollian. Karkat was on, and he immediately smiled, cheeks slightly warm. He messaged the loud-mouthed teen, though he was too busy to stay and chat. Eridan then messaged him, only to simply insult him; what an ass. Sighing, Sollux logged off and put his lap top away.

He could smell dinner downstairs, though Sollux wasn't hungry. He stood, removing his shirt and pants, tossing them into hamper. Upon looking down, Sollux frowned at his ribs, in which were beginning to poke out a bit. He sighed, stepping over to his bed and laying down, crawling under the covers. Wearing only his bee print boxers, Sollux drifted off, sleeping peacefully for once in a while.


	2. Chapter Two

[Sorry for making you guys wait for the second chapter of this terrible story, I got in trouble… *dun dun DUUUUUN* Anyways, here you go! By the way, I'll also be posting another chapter after this to make up for the waiting period. ^w^]

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Chapter Two: Well, You Can't Say They Didn't Try

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Sollux's condition progressed through the next couple of weeks, and it was starting to be something he knew his father couldn't ignore. Of course, if ever questioned or pulled aside, Sollux would shrug it off as nothing and move on. Though his "excuses" were starting to get old. They were growing old with himself, as well. It was getting harder and harder to fake a smile, or to even hold back tears. It was a difficult situation to approach, and Sollux would rather ignore than actually face it. Ever. Though as the days went by, the boy was slowly realizing that he would, eventually, have to do something about it. He would end up talking to a psychiatrist, or something else of that nature. This was something he was seriously dreading, and it was very understandable why he would want to put such topics and conversations off.

Though he knew he wanted to avoid situations that could occur by reaching out for help, Sollux also knew that it was unhealthy to ignore his issues. He put off facing them, anyways, figuring it would be fine. He knew it would be fine… I mean, what could possibly happen? He's sad? In his eyes, he just needed to stop being such a wimp and grow up. He could deal with this… right? Right. Lately, however, he's starting catching his dad's glances whenever he fled up to his room right when he arrived from school, how he wasn't eating right. He knew his father was starting to catch on, and that wasn't exactly good news to Sollux. The teen hoped his dad wouldn't dig too deep into what was going on and hoped he was give up and shrug his son's odd behavior off as nothing.

Skipping breakfast yet again, Sollux was about to dash out the door and begin walking home. He thought his father was asleep, like usual, but when a hand grasped his shoulder and turned him around, he found that to be wrong. Sollux sighed, looking up at his dad's concerned face. He prayed he wouldn't want to say anything serious, hoped he was just saying good-bye…

"No breakfatht again?" Scott questioned, now holding both his son's shoulders. The boy had been worrying real badly lately… Sollux nodded.

"Yeah, I don't have time." He turned to walk out the door, the current situations making him tense up all over, nerves tying themselves in knots in his stomach. His father stopped him from doing so.

"…maybe you should stay home from school… you could relax… I'll even play some videogames with you…?" Sollux shook his head, face paling. This is exactly what he didn't want… Pulling away from his dad's grip, Sollux shouted a quick "bye" and was on his way to school.

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The day passed by relatively quickly, and Sollux cursed under his breath upon realizing that his dad didn't work today. Sighing, he hoped he could pass by him and lock himself in his room, once again. Although as soon as he closed the door, Scott was standing at the end of the hallway.

"Hey, can we talk, Thol?" Though Sollux was already up the staircase, shutting his bedroom door behind himself. That might not have been the smartest decision, though Sollux couldn't stand the thought of talking about it to his father. Sollux laid down and soon passed out balled u in his covers, though awoke when he heard his father's voice downstairs. Who was he talking to…? Sollux sat up and strained to listen. He picked up keywords like "worried," "eating," and worst of all… "Sollux." Trying not to let his suspicions get the best of him, Sollux tried to go back to sleep, soon doing so.

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Sollux's 2nd period teacher picked up the phone, nodding and hanging up before calling his attention.

"Sollux," She said, "You're needed in the councilor's office." Sollux felt just about everyone's eyes on him as he stood, putting the phone conversation from last night and the visit he was about to have with the school councilor together. He sighed; his dad had set this up. Sollux tried to walk slowly, not exactly wanted to speak with the councilor. Of course, if he didn't want to talk with his own father, why on Earth would he want to talk to someone he didn't know? Especially when this someone would be some person who was "specially trained" to deal with things like this. When Sollux did finally reach the door with the signs "Ms. Travere" and "Councilor" on it, Sollux released a shaky breath, stomach filled with butterflies of nervousness. Knowing he couldn't prolong the situation any longer, Sollux opened the door and stepped inside.

Waiting for him was a woman slightly taller than him with light brown hair and eyes that matched. She smiled nice and warm at him, though Sollux knew that fake smile that most of the school staff wore ever so well. She gestured for him to sit, and he did so, tensely resting on the edge of the chair. Ms. Travere seemed to take a pause to think and gather her thoughts before clearing her throat and beginning to speak.

"Sollux," She began, "Your father called and asks that I speak with you. Can you tell me why that is?" Sollux sighs, hands in his lap, gaze aimed at the floor.

"You obviouthly already know," He replied in a simple, emotionless tone. The councilor's smile faded a bit, as she has probably been hoping for more cooperation. She wasn't going to get it.

"Well, would you like to talk about it?"

"No." There was a moment of awkward silence.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeth."

"Sollux…" Ms. Travere began in a softer, yet more concerned tone, "…I'm trying to help you."

"Well, you thould thtop wathting your time." Ms. Travere sighed and nodded.

"You may go back to class, Mr. Captor." Sollux nodded, gladly hopping out of the chair and heading back to his classroom with an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

Later, after lunch, Sollux had made the mistake of going to the bathroom. Inside, waiting for him, was the bully that had been beating him and a couple friends. Sollux immediately tried to turn and leave, but the bully grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. The massive, older male yanked him back, getting the help of his henchmen to open a stall door and drag Sollux over to it. They forced him to his knees, pushing the Gemini forwards and shoving his face into the toilet water. They flushed, and Sollux held his breath the best he could, gasping and choking for breath when he was lifting back out. The stench of the toilet clung to Sollux's nostrils, and the bullies repeated the process a few times. Laughing, they left the bathroom, leaving Sollux panting on the bathroom floor.

When Sollux got home, his hair was still damp. He hadn't and wasn't going to cry, as he was used to this sort of treatment by now. He was close to unaffected, only worried about what his father would ask when he arrived. And, as expected, Sollux's dad Scott was waiting for him. He had his arms crossed, obviously not pleased, worried eyes hidden behind his glasses.

"So," He began, making it apparent that Sollux couldn't just dash up to his bedroom, "What'd the counthilor thay?" Sollux swallowed nervously, trying to keep an apathetic attitude through body language.

"The athked me why you'd called, then athked if I'd like to talk about it. I thaid no, the athked if I wath thure, and I thaid yeth. Then the let me leave." A wave of disappointment crossed Scott's face at the defeat. He sighed, allowing Sollux to flee up to his room.

After seeing that none of his friends were online and also ignoring a message from Eridan, Sollux laid down and buried himself in his thoughts. Would his father give up? He hoped so, though he also knew that his dad wasn't going to leave the predicament at that. But… what _would_ Scott do? That's what plagued Sollux's mind; not knowing how his father would take action. Still wearing his clothes, Sollux turned over on his side, holding himself as he tried to sleep, gaining little success what with the thoughts and issues swimming around in his head.

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	3. Chapter Three

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Chapter Three: Things Can Only Get Worse From Here… Right?

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Upon hearing a couple soft taps at his door, Sollux awoke form his thoughts and sat up as his dad opened the door slightly, peeking his head in. His face was softer, kinder than usual, his glasses off to show his odd eyes, in which Sollux shared with him.

"Hey, Thollux, I…" He paused, then cleared his throat, "…I made dinner. Would you like to come down to eat?" No, he didn't want to come down and eat. Thinking fast, Sollux come up with an excuse.

"I'm actually about to take a thower… tho… yeah…" He trailed off, feeling terribly guilty at seeing the sad, worried expression on his father's face. Though he wasn't about to change his decision. He got up, slipping past his father and locking himself in the bathroom. He turned the water on, stripping off his clothes and accessories as the water heated up. He switched the flow of water to the shower head, climbing in and pulling back the curtain. He stood beneath the hot water for a long time, getting lost in his thoughts as clouds of steams surrounded him.

Once the water went cold, Sollux got out, drying off and getting dressed before quietly creeping downstairs in hopes that his dad wouldn't detect his presence. Upon seeing that Scott wasn't around, he grabbed a bottle of honey and an energy drink and dashed back upstairs. He drank about half the honey and downed the contents of the can, which was obviously quite a poor choice in food consumption for a single day, whilst sitting cross-legged on his bed.

Sollux grabbed his laptop, powering it on and instantly checking his trollian. He had several messages from Eridan, however they weren't along the lines of his usual, pompous self. They were quite serious and pertaining to Sollux's recent change in attitude. Sollux sighed; he was still online, and it would be smart to convince Eridan that he was alright and well.

"Hey, ED," he began, typing with his usual quirk, just as Eridan was about to with his. While Sollux's text was of a blue shade, while Eridan's was of a violet.

"Oh my cod, Sol, I'vve been tryin' ta get a hold of you for forevver!" Sollux sighed.

"And ii've been bu2y. What do you want?"

"I'm just wworied about ya…" Sollux snorted.

"_You're _worriied about _me?_ Yeah, riight. Can you 2top lyiing and leave me alone?"

"Sol, I'm not lyin'. Can you just… talk to me?"

"Hell no." And with that, Sollux stopped trolling Eridan. Taking a moment to calm down, Sollux then noticed a few messages from Karkat. He's apologized for being busy, though was now logged off.

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The next day, the weekend began. Sollux, of course, like any other recent weekend, planned to stay up in his room for a majority of the time. Though sometime at night around midnight, Sollux heard his father's voice, loud and angry. This distracted him from his videogame, and his focused was moved to the couple of things his father was saying that attracted his attention. One, his dad's tone. He was usually a calmer person, and didn't usually raise his voice or lose control. Second, what Sollux was picking up in his conversation. Like the last time he'd eavesdropped, he could only hear certain words, but these words attracted his curiosity. Things like "brother" and "meet" and "it will help" were repeated again and again. Eventually, the argument died down, and his father and the person on the other end of the line seemed to come to some sort of agreement. Sollux wanted to ask, but he knew it would be of no good and would simply get him nowhere. Seeing nothing else to do, Sollux went to bed.

_He was younger, Sollux could tell. He was with his dad, an also younger version, and also his mom. He was playing with someone, someone his age. They were smiling and laughing and running about the house with toys of blue and red shades, usually in pairs. Though the sounds of his parent's voices, their loud tones, made both Sollux and the boy with him stop. The house caught fire, and bright, hot flames surrounded them, licking at the walls and at their skin greedily. Sollux watched as the blurry, unrecognizable forms of his mother and the boy flee from the house. His mom was dragging the boy, whom was trying to get back to Sollux. Sollux tried to get to the boy, wanting nothing more than to find out who he was, though he father picked him up, pulling him back into the flames, into the smoke. Sollux began to choke on the clouds of black, heart racing, nearing death- _

Sollux sat straight up in bed, sweating, tears already slipping down his cheeks. He was panting hard, heart still beating fast and furious in his chest. Sollux took a moment to try and relax before climbing out of bed in only his boxers, still shaking. He slowly and cautiously made his way downstairs, wondering if he'd made any noise and hoping that, if he did that his father didn't hear. Sollux got himself a glass of water, gulping before sipping as he finally became calm, going back up stairs and slipping into a more peaceful, enjoyable sleep.

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